7 Top Tips for Traveling on A Budget
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Updated December 27, 2023.
Anyone who knows me knows that half of my personality is finding ways to live my best life on discounts and deals. And that includes travel! And with prices for pretty much everything going up these days, I figured I should share some of my favorite tips and tools for traveling on a budget. So here are a few of my tried and true methods to keep my travel costs low.
Tip #1: Sign Up for Travelzoo
Travelzoo is a referral website that reviews and recommends deals on travel, entertainment, and lifestyle experiences from other companies to its members. It is completely free to sign up, and the deals are legitimate and high quality.
You can set your location to receive personalized deals sent to your inbox, and their customer service is also top-notch if you experience any problems.
I personally have purchased the following deals through Travelzoo alerts:
- 1 night for $99 ($179 value) at Hyatt Regency Baltimore Inner Harbor
- 2 for 1 Virginia Wine Pass $35
- 4 nights for 2 people for $460 total at Solar Do Castelo hotel in Lisbon, Portugal (plus daily breakfast, a welcome bottle of Port wine, free entry into 20 museums around Lisbon)
- 1 Free ticket to the Washington DC Travel and Adventure Show ($16 value)
- 4-day, 3-night Icelandair’s Hot Winter Getaway for 2 people for $832 each (includes airfare, hotel with breakfast, flybus transfer, Northern Lights Tour, Golden Circle and Secret Lagoon Tour, and Lava Show)
Tip #2: Sign Up for Going (Scott’s Cheap Flights)
Similar to Travelzoo, Going (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights) is a website that will track deals and send you email alerts. But these are strictly flight deals. There is a free version, but for even more deals, I recommend upgrading to the Premium option, which is $49/year.
The flight deals I have booked with Going so far from Washington, D.C. have included a $200 deal to Toronto and a $180 deal to New Orleans.
Tip #3: Use Google Tracked Flights
You may already know this one, but it needs to be said anyway. When traveling on a budget, the Google tracked flights feature is your friend!
If the current prices are too high for the dates you are looking to fly, you can track the prices, so you receive an alert for when they drop. On the flight page, right above the ‘Best Departing Flights’ header, you’ll see ‘Track Prices’ and a toggle button that is probably grey. Make sure to click that so that it changes to blue. You are now tracking your flight!
Tip #4: Use a Travel Credit Card
When traveling on a budget, the best thing I can do is to put all my expenses on a credit card that is earning me points to use on my next trip. There are tons of rewards credit cards out there, so if you don’t already have one, I highly recommend looking into this. I personally swear by my Chase Sapphire Preferred card, and just recently signed up for the Capital One Venture X card.
In the past year, I have used my credit card points, instead of paying out of pocket, for:
- a 4-night hotel stay in New Orleans
- a 1-night hotel stay in New York City
- points transfers to airline miles for free flights to New Orleans, Atlanta, and London
- numerous Amazon purchases
Tip #5: Avoid Taxis and Ubers
My #1 tip when actually at your destination is to use public transportation or walk everywhere, if you can. I know not all locations have this option, but if so, use them! Taxis and Uber are so expensive compared to walking or taking the bus or the metro or even biking.
I also know using public transportation can be intimidating, but a little bit of research ahead of time, and asking for help if you get lost, can make a huge difference and save you tons. Just as an example, a weekend Uber ride in DC is, on average, $15-$30, while a metro ride is $2. Just think of how quickly that’ll add up!
Tip #6: Visit Free Attractions
When planning your itinerary for your trip, costs can add up quickly. But a great way to save money is to plan around free attractions. A lot of destinations have great free things to do, like parks or gardens or beaches, depending on the location. Other times, a place that usually charges may have free or discounted days, so it’s worth doing some research ahead of time. There are also free walking tours or photo tours in many cities, which is a good way to fill up an afternoon.
Some ideas would be:
- Chicago: Millenium Park, Chicago river or lakefront
- Atlanta: Historic Oakland Cemetery and other hidden gems
- National Parks: 5 free days each year
- New York City: Brooklyn Bridge, Central Park
Tip #7: Choose Local Dives and Hidden Gems for Food
One of the most expensive things to account for when traveling on a budget is food. There are a few ways to cut costs here, like bringing your own snacks and only eating two big meals a day. But I still like to try as much food in a new place as possible, so my tip is to be strategic about what you choose.
This means venturing a bit farther from the main touristy areas, asking for recommendations from frequent visitors or locals, and doing some research. My research usually consists of:
- googling ‘hidden gem restaurants’ or ‘ best cheap eats’ in xyz city
- watching food shows for the city, like Delicious Destinations or Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives
- asking my friends, family, and Instagram followers for recommendations
I hope these tips and tools will come in handy the next time you are traveling on a budget. Do you have anything you swear by when keeping costs down while traveling? I’d love to hear them! Share in the comments. And follow me for more travel content!
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